Today's News

The history of perfume parallels the history of civilization. For almost as long as there have been human beings, people have used many and varied ways to capture the scents of flowers and plants to use when the real ones were not available.

Many primitive people used smoke perfumes. Aromatic plants, tree resins and fragrant herbs were burned, and garments and other textiles were held in the smoke to perfume them. Some American Indian tribes still do this as a ceremonial ritual. This, of course was the beginning of the development of incense.

25 Years Ago
Approximately 8 inches of snowfall blanketed the area from Thursday through Sunday, playing havoc with school openings, traffic, sports events and meeting schedules.

10 Years Ago
The Warm Thoughts program was started by Rockwood Water, Sewer and Gas to help residents who need heating bill assistance. Mid-East Community Action Agency was chosen to distribute the funds.
Five Years Ago

Editor’s Note: Readers are cautioned that some names may be the same as, or similar to, other members of the community.Jan. 4 — Laquan Bernard Barber, 28, 103 Gates Drive, Oak Ridge: domestic assault. Bond $1,250; court date March 18.

By DAVID L. HUDSON Jr.
First Amendment Center
Fifty years ago — on Jan. 14, 1963 — the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a Virginia law that was being used to quash the work of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The court ruled in NAACP v. Button that the First Amendment protected the group’s efforts to solicit plaintiffs to challenge segregation policies.

The state of Virginia had passed a law expanding the definition of the improper solicitation of legal or professional business.